Ibn Battuta

A detailed Summary of Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta was one of the great travelers of ancient history. He traveled to Mecca on his first hajj to complete the service that all Muslims should do if they are able to. Traveling to Mecca was an adventurous experience and many people didn't make it because the trip was very rough on the body. There were rituals that had to be followed before Ibn Battuta got to Mecca and rituals that had to performed while in Mecca. These rituals sometimes symbolized events of the past.

Before reaching Mecca, Ibn Battuta went through several different places such as North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, and Syra. "There were five stations on the trails leading to Mecca where pilgrims were required to enter into the state of consecration called ihram." At this point the male pilgrims prayed and washed themselves. After they finished praying they received a special garmet, also called an ihram. The garmet they received was two plain white cloths; one was wrapped around the waist and the other was wrapped around the top portion of the body, but didn't cover one shoulder. The ihram symbolized equality of all men before God, the pilgrim was to behave himself the same as he entered.

In October 1326, Ibn Battuta finally reached Mecca and he we

nt to the Holy House. Pilgrims from all over gathered in Mecca to pray in the Sacred Mosque. When a visitor arrives in Mecca, he must as his very first act perform the tawaf, the cirumambulation. He walks around the Ka'ba seven times counterclockwise slowly, while reciting prayers special to the occasion. Each time he passes the eastern corner he kisses or touches the Black Stone, he does this because the Prophet kissed the stone. Once the pilgrim has completed his tawaf he goes to the Maqam where he prays a prayer of two prostrations. Next the pilgrims go to the well to drink, the water is sacred and has a saline taste, but the pilgrims still drink it because it heals them. After drinking from the well the pilgrims proceed to a small elevation street, called the al-Safa. From the steps the pilgrim walks or jogs to al-Marwa, which is about a quarter of a mile away from al-Safa. He repeats this seven times, while doing this he is reciting prayers to symbolize Hagar's frantic search for water along the ground lying between the two hills. This rite is called the Running or the sa'y. Once the pilgrim has finished the sa'y he has completed the preliminary rites of the hajj and may find his lodgrings and begin to introduce himself to Mecca.

While in Mecca Ibn Battuta spent a go

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Approximate Word count = 871
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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Ibn Battuta

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